1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device manufacturing apparatus capable of continuously processing a plurality of lots and a device manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
An exposure process conventionally starts after an apparatus is instructed to start a lot process a wafer is loaded, it reaches a wafer stage, and the exposure process begins at the time a reticle or mask serving as a circuit master for exposing the wafer reaches the wafer stage.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-167562 discloses the following technique. A wafer is loaded from a lot in accordance by a process start instruction by the automatic start of a lot by a job queue in which a lot process line is already designated or by a process start instruction by an operator in accordance with a job queue. When the wafer reaches the wafer stage, the exposure process starts.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-323391 proposes the following technique. When a job queue indicates a plurality of reticles in the succeeding lots, the reticle arrangement location is determined in accordance with the reticle use order, thereby minimizing the reticle conveyance time.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-307972 proposes the following technique. When continuously processing a plurality of lots, it is determined whether the next lot is processible. Before completion of processing of the lot currently being processed, the processing of the next lot proceeds in the possible range for the next lot.
In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, jobs continuously registered in a job queue include not only lot processing for a manufacturing process but also a tuning commands for a semiconductor exposure apparatus. Tuning commands include those which cannot be performed when materials such as a wafer and reticle are located in a conveyance path. Even for job queues which handle only lot processing, each time tuning is required an operator must stop succeeding jobs, interrupting them to perform the corresponding tuning and the like, and this makes it impossible to sufficiently enhance a preparatory conveyance function for materials for succeeding job.